The Washington Nationals are 12-1 in their last 13 games against the Houston Astros, including a current stretch of eight straight wins. The Nationals hope to keep that dominance going on the road this Tuesday night against the Astros.
Nationals vs. Astros odds 2017: Favored Houston looks to buck trends against Washington
Two of baseball’s best teams will clash when the Washington Nationals visit the Houston Astros on Tuesday night, with the Astros clear betting favorites at the sportsbooks.
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Washington is a +150 betting underdog in Houston at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Tanner Roark will start for the road team against Charlie Morton and the Astros, who are going off as -175 favorites at home.
Washington Nationals
With a 74-48 record, the Nationals sit 14 games ahead of the Miami Marlins for the lead in the NL East and seem locked into the second spot in the National League as the Los Angeles Dodgers run away with the top spot.
Washington avoided disaster when Bryce Harper’s scary knee injury was revealed to be a bone bruise instead of something season-ending, but the team will still be without his services in August. The Nationals are 5-3 in their eight games since the injury.
Roark has been better for the Nationals on the road this season than he has been at home. Washington is 5-2 in Roark’s last seven road starts, compared to a 1-5 record in his last six at home, per the OddsShark MLB Database.
Betting Line / Total: Houston -175 / 9 Runs
Houston Astros
The Astros still have the best record in the American League at 76-48, but most of the heavy lifting on that record was done before the All-Star break. Over the second half, Houston is just 16-19, including a 7-12 run so far in the month of August.
Houston has had slightly better results of late with a 5-3 record over its last eight games, and a strong series against one of the league’s best teams this week could help the team to get some of its swagger back.
Tuesday night’s total is set at nine runs. The UNDER is 8-0-2 over Washington’s last 10 games and 9-2-1 over Houston’s last 12 games.
This three-game series will be the first between these two teams since 2014. Edwin Jackson will face off against Mike Fiers on Wednesday, and the series finale will feature a pitching duel between Stephen Strasburg and Dallas Keuchel.
Washington Nationals at Houston Astros
When: Tuesday, Aug. 22, 8:10 p.m. ET
Where: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
